Quiet Force Extends Stride at Indiana Grand
The 2014 turf season kicked off Wednesday, July 2 with the fifth running of the $85,000-added J. Kenneth Self Shelby County Boys and Girls Club Stakes. Quiet Force and Robby Albarado proved to be the toughest of the eight-horse field and brought in a special win for owner Kevin Warner, marking his first stakes win as a new owner in Thoroughbred racing.
Quiet Force lived up to his name as he quietly settled at the back of the pack early and followed along as Ol Army and Stewart Elliott established fractions of :23.3 and :47.1 before feeling pressure from his opponents. Around the final turn several closers were in full gear and Red Strike, with Leandro Goncalves, was the first to take over heading into the lane. Quiet Force had moved into second and only had Red Strike to chase down. The four-year-old colt did just that, extending his stride and moving past Red Strike to win by two lengths. Quick Wit and Corey Lanerie also closed well to finish third.
“He (Quiet Force) settled in well but I was a little concerned we might be too far back,” said Albarado. “It turned out to be a nice spot and he was very responsive when I asked him. I didn’t even touch him with the whip. He had a good kick on the end and did that by himself.”
Trained by Mike Maker, Quiet Force paid $11.00, $5.60 and $4.00 across the board. The Dynaformer son increased his career bankroll to more than $180,000 with the win and is now four for eight over the turf.
“Mike (Maker) had two races targeted and we talked about it and thought the distance on this race would be better for him (Quiet Force),” said Warner, who hails from Lexington, Ky. “I’m very excited to win my first race here. It’s also my first stakes win and this is only my 10th start as an owner. I feel very fortunate to be a new owner and have such a quality horse from a claim.”
Warner and Maker claimed Quiet Force in early March from Santa Anita for $40,000. He proved in his last outing that the turf was a good fit for him, winning an allowance race at Churchill Downs in preparation for the stakes race at Indiana Grand. The win has special meaning to Warner, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor a year and a half ago. The tumor was the size of his fist and was removed successfully, giving Warner a new outlook on life.